Street Lights
by cathstar
Summary: Street lights, glowing, happen to like moments passing. Zuko and Katara through Zutara Week '10 prompts. Slice of Life.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** yo, Zutara. imu, ngl.

**Summary**: It's their official debut as a family.

**Disclaimer:** Avatar is not mine, wa wa wa...

* * *

Family

"People of the Fire Nation, has it really been five years since our Fire Lord has been appointed leader over this land?" The official crier called over balcony to the large gathering.

Behind the curtain, Katara and Zuko stood with their son awaiting their cue. Zuko glanced over at his wife and caught her worried expression.

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine." he rubbed her back. "Look, Taro's enjoying himself." Zuko softly cooed at his son.

"I'm just worried; about Taro, and the factions, and-and the citizens - " Katara was hushed by Zuko's finger to her lips.

"Taro's fine. Uncle is dealing with the factions. And the citizens will love Taro, how could they not? They already love you."

"But-"

"Nothing and no one will harm my family." Zuko said firmly. "I will protect you, you know that."

"Citizens, rejoice!" the crier continued. "Our Fire Lord Zuko has helped our Nation become prosperous once again and with the help of the Avatar and his delegates, the world has grown in harmony."

"Are you ready, Katara?" Zuko put his arm around his wife's shoulders. Katara let out the breath she was holding in.

"Only if you are ready."

"Today, our Fire Lord has graced us with another gift to our Nation." The curtains that hid the pair from the public eye swung open.

"I present to you citizens of the Fire Nation: the Royal Fire Nation family."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**: Zutara, you feel sooooo gooood.

**Disclaimer**: Fack, Avatar: the Last Airbender belongs to Bryan and Mike. -_-

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Change

He wasn't allowed inside the hut for the whole day. The shaman from the Northern Water Tribe was called in when Katara had collapsed from a fever. _'Blood-family only.'_ he had said.

"I'm her husband, dammit! I _should_ be allowed in." he mumbled to himself. Zuko paced in front of the hut. He could hear the shaman speak in low tones to Sokka and Sokka in turn, spoke back.

_'But what does that **mean**?'_ he could hear him say. The shaman's gruff voice answered him.

_'__And so when it's - that means - !_'

"What, means what?" Zuko strained to hear the shaman's reply, but the hut had gone quiet already. Frustrated, Zuko crossed his arms and sat in the snow. He waited for what seemed an eternity in the cold when he heard something going on in the hut.

"Is Katara awake?" Zuko tried to get her brother's attention.

"I-It's blue! It's blue!" Sokka went out of the hut and grabbed Zuko by the shoulders. "It's blue, the ice is **blue**!"

"What, what does that mean? Katara's still sick?" Zuko's eyes searched Sokka's face for an answer. "Sokka, what!"

Zuko saw the shaman come out of the hut and immediately turned to him. "Why is the ice blue? What- what does it mean?"

The shaman gave patted his shoulder. "Congratulations on having a future heir, Fire Lord."

Sokka clapped him on the back. "Man, I'm gonna be an _uncle_."

"Ba...by?" Zuko's eyes rolled back into his head. Sokka quickly gripped him before he could fall into the snow.

"Maybe we should have let him inside the hut."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**: 143, I lalalalove you.

**Disclaimer**: As always, Avatar: the Last Airbender belongs to Bryan and Mike.

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Pain

"You can do this, Katara!" Zuko held his wife's hand.

"Get **out**!"

"M-Me?" Zuko straightened a little.

"You," Katara gritted her teeth and squeezed Zuko's hand. "And this little twerp who decides today is not the best d-" Katara sharply screamed.

"K-Katara, you're squeezing the life out of my hand." Zuko tried to loosen her grip, but Katara only squeezed tighter.

"I will squeeze so much more out of you when this is over, you'll never leave the bed - ah!" Katara lurched forward.

"The baby's crowning!" The physician at the foot of the bed exclaimed. "Please push harder, my Lady."

Katara grunted and focused on the contractions in her belly.

"You are so dead." she glared at her husband.

"I know."

"I hate you."

"I know."

"You **will** sleep in the spare room."

"I know. K-Katara, you squeeze my hand any tighter - " Another contraction interrupted Zuko. As Katara tightened her grip, he could have sworn something popped in his hand.

"Making this was sure as hell less painful," he whispered to himself.

**

* * *

Author's Note**: More like a note to myself but; Self: DO NOT LISTEN TO JOHN MAYER WHILE WRITING FICS, THEY'LL END UP SAPPY AS FUCK, I REPEAT - JOHN MAYER = NO GOOD WHILE WRITING. Shieet, almost took a wrong turn.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**: I wish I had a midnight snack.

**Disclaimer**: Not mine!

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Date

Zuko checked his hair five times before going out of the house on Ember Island. It's been two months since Sozin's Comet and he should be focused on fixing the country and whatnot, but he's a seventeen-year-old-boy-turning-eighteen at heart and frankly, politics is not on his mind.

The gang was coming back to visit and catch up and he was excited. And nervous, but more excited than the latter.

He caught her by herself after the group left with his uncle for a smorgasbord. "I'll buy you some time," his uncle winked at him before escorting Aang, Toph, and Sokka away.

Zuko noticed Katara had been blushing to herself. _'She couldn't possibly know...'_

"Uh, Katara?" he asked hesitantly.

"Y-Yes!" Katara perked up.

"T-There's a play two days from now - I was wondering - you and m-me -"

"Yes!" Katara cleared her throat. "I -I mean, yes. I'd like to go...with you."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Kukukuku...


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: Avatar: the Last Airbender is hereby disclaimed.

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Harmony

Sokka rubbed his eyes. Maybe it was the Fire Nation heat that was affecting him or the cactus juice Toph had kept hidden on Appa.

Sokka blinked. Wait, was Katara and Zuko riding...on a carp? He shook his head. No, no that wasn't it. They were holding hands and running? Through a meadow? Did the Fire Nation even have a meadow? Sokka blinked a couple of times before rubbing his eyes again.

What were they doing now? He squinted. Was there a rainbow behind them? Marriage ceremony, what?

"Sokka!" Katara's voice rang out in his head. "What do you think you're doing?"

He felt something being taken from his hand. "Hey," he blinked languidly. "Tha-That's mine." He tried reaching for it.

"Drinking," Katara sniffed the cup." _Cactus juice_ and staring at the sun? Sokka!"

Zuko's face came into Sokka's view. "Come on, let's get in you in the shade."

Sokka's brow furrowed. Obviously his senses were not working today. What did Katara say? Did Zuko say something? Was he smelling something...burning?

Wait. Sokka's eyes drooped. "H-Hey, why is you- why is you guyses faces swirling into each other, huh? Stop it! Stop frolicking in the flowers!" Sokka flailed as Zuko tried to lift him up. Zuko turned to Katara and gave her a confused look.

Katara gaped at her brother. "That is not hereditary."

**Author's Note**: Obviously, when I think of 'Harmony' I get cactus-juice-induced hallucinations, along with sun-staring. Don't judge!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note**: I scrapped my previous drabble regarding this prompt, and immediately wrote this one on a Friday night. Go me.

**Disclaimer**: Avatar: the Last Airbender is hereby disclaimed.

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AU

When she meets him for the first time, their hands touch for the briefest of moments. She gasps and he looks shocked. Had either felt what the other had experienced?

A short spark. A vision of blended skin. A feeling of hot breaths, panting in want and in need.

Two strangers in a big city, accidently meet.

* * *

For their first date, he takes her to a play that was only showing for that night. A tale of two lovers, separated because of their differences in status.

He fidgets in his chair and she blushes from the material, because they seem to know this from somewhere before.

* * *

She decides to take him to visit Aunt Wu one day. A famous mystic in her family, predicting that of Katara's birth, her mother's sudden death, and the next time Sokka was going to score some points with the lottery card.

_Please, Aunt Wu,_ she begs. _We need to know._

She looks between the young man and her adopted-neice and complies. _I tell futures and fortunes, not past lives. But only this once will I do this for you._

She clasps their hands together, hers being the binder that keeps them together and closes her eyes. She doesn't let her emotions run across her face, but her mind is reeling. _The history between these two,_ she thinks, _is amazing._

Aunt Wu opens her eyes and looks at the young couple, both anxious for their answer.

_Well?_ the young man's voice, Zuko, she learns, asks.

_Young lovers stay together. No matter what note they end on in their previous life, in the next they will find each other. Your past life, is just a past life. Go on and create your future._

_

* * *

_

In their old age, her hands never cease to find his. She smiles at him and he gives her a kiss to her temple. Her laugh still tinkles and gives him butterflies in his stomach. His gruff voice still gives her goosebumps on her skin and a blush to her cheeks.

* * *

_I'll never stop loving you._ she caresses his cheek. He takes it and places a small kiss on her fingertips.

_Rest._ his voice echoes throughout the tiny, white room. _The doctor says to rest._

She closes her eyes and exhales quietly.

* * *

His morning was not going according to plan. His alarm clock had decided to stop in the middle of the night, leaving him less than fifteen minutes to get ready for work. By the time he reached the train station, his train had already left, five minutes ago. The only train at the station was the one making its way to an all-girls high school on the other side of town. He'd have to take another train to get back on the right side of town.

_Excuse me. _A girl pressed beside him as more passengers board the train. He tightened his grip on the overhead hand rail. The girl beside him was fidgeting, inching herself closer to him.

He glanced over her shoulder. A hand was discreetly making its way towards her. He sighed and brought his hand over her shoulder. _Stay close._ he whispered in her ear.

She tensed in his arm and then relaxed. _I can take care of myself._ she whispered back.

_I'll take_ that _as a thank you._

She shot him an annoyed look. He returned the favor as he smiled at her and winked.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Just to clarify things, cause I _know_ someone's gonna be asking something:

1. No, Katara is not adopted. Think of it as calling your parents' close friends, Aunt or Uncle. Or if you want, think of it as Ninang or Ninong.

2. In the last snippet, yes, Zuko is older than Katara. Obviously since, he's two years older in the cartoon series. .

3. And yes, they meet again in another life. Any other questions please include in your review/comment.

...this is by far my most favorite drabble.

**EDIT:** I am so sorry for reposting this chapter D: The breaks that I had previously set up decided to go wonky on me (why shanks, ffnet!). Due to the anal-retentive perfectionist I am about my writing, I had to do it...-_-


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note**: Written in Humanities class.

**Summary**: Oh summer rain, you are so unpredictable.

**Disclaimer**: Avatar: the Last Airbender is hereby disclaimed.

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Storm

The sky rumbled above them. It was odd, being that it was the summer time in the Fire Nation. The whole gang came to Ember Island for a little vacation.

"Jeez," Sokka pushed back the large leaf he used to shield his face from the sun. "maybe we should ask Zuko and Katara to get some umbrellas when they come back from getting us melon." He looked over to his companions beside him on the sand. Toph had dug herself into the sand and made a makeshift bed, while Aang laid like a starfish next to her. Both were clearly asleep.

"Right, right," Sokka got up. "You two laze around while Sokka does all the work." He made his way towards Zuko's summer house.

"Katara?" Sokka stepped into the courtyard and froze. Katara stood in front of Zuko with her hands waving in an erratic motion. Zuko rolled his eyes at her and began pointing angrily towards the sky. Sokka watched as dark clouds slowly formed as Katara's arms moved and sparks appeared on Zuko's pointed finger.

"Oh no," Sokka began to walk back to warn the others. "Not _again_." He ran to wake up Toph and Aang.

"Guys, get _up_." Sokka shook Aang.

"Wha?" Aang rubbed his eyes.

"No time." Sokka moved to climb onto Appa, who was sitting close to the cliffs. "Hide, now."

"What's going on?" Toph grumbled. Sokka covered himself with the tarp from Katara's knapsack.

"Get ready for a big one, guys."

Up ahead the sky boomed and rain started to pour.

* * *

**Author's Note**: It could happen, right? **Right?**


End file.
